Study of molecular aggregation of artificial amyloid in a langmuir monolayer by infrared spectroscopy

A synthesized peptidolipid (C18IIGLM-NH2) comprised of a single C18-saturated hydrocarbon chain connected to the amino acid sequence IIGLM terminated with the NH2 group was spread on water, which formed a stable Langmuir monolayer. The Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films have been characterized by measurements of surface pressure-area (pi-A) and surface potential-area (DeltaV-A) isotherms and infrared multiple-angle incidence resolution spectrometry (MAIRS). The Langmuir monolayer had a significantly larger limiting molecular area than that of a similar molecule of C18IIGLM-OH, which was reported in our previous study. The surface dipole moment analysis coupled with the pi-A isotherm suggested that the C18IIGLM-NH2 monolayer was extraordinarily stiff and the fundamental structure of the monolayer was brought about before the monolayer compression. The infrared MAIRS analysis of the C18IIGLM-NH2 LB film revealed that the backbone structure of the monolayer was the 'antiparallel' beta sheet aligned parallel to the substrate. Since the C18IIGLM-OH LB film was made of 'parallel' beta sheet with a random orientation, it has been found that the present C18IIGLM-NH2 Langmuir monolayer has a largely different monolayer structure, although the chemical structures are slightly different from each other by the terminal group only.     

Antibody-gold quantum dot-PAMAM dendrimer complex as an immunoglobulin immunoassay

Gold quantum dots (AuQDs) were synthesized and electrostatically conjugated to goat-derived anti-human IgG for the purpose of detecting human IgG in solution over a broad range of concentrations. The system is able to detect human IgG by linear fluorescence quenching over a micromolar to nanomolar concentration range. We have demonstrated the specificity and a wide dynamic range of the proposed immunoassay. The quenching is a result of competitive surface quenching of the AuQDs. Characterization, details of the immunoassay, and the quenching mechanism, are discussed.     

Determination of the composition,encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity in protein drug delivery systems using circular dichroism spectroscopy

Peptides and proteins have become very promising drug candidates in recent decades due to their unique properties. However, the application of these drugs has been limited by their high enzymatic susceptibility, low membrane permeability and poor bioavailability when administered orally. Considerable efforts have been made to design and develop drug delivery systems that could transport peptides and proteins to targeted area. Although it is of great importance to determine the composition after loading a drug to the carrier, the ability to do so is significantly limited by current analytical methods. In this letter, five important proteins, α₁-antitrypsin, hemoglobin human, human serum albumin, human transferrin and r-globulin were chemically conjugated to two model drug carriers, namely carbon dots and polymer O-(2-carboxyethyl) polyethylene glycol. A simple yet convenient method based on circular dichroism spectroscopy was developed to determine the compositions of the various protein-carrier conjugates.     

Standardless identification of selenocystathionine and its gamma-glutamyl derivatives in monkeypot nuts by 3D liquid chromatography with ICP-MS detection followed by nanoHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS

A three-step chromatographic procedure using orthogonal separation mechanisms (size-exclusion, cation-exchange and ion-pairing reversed phase) was developed to purify three low molecular weight selenospecies, including the major compound, from the aqueous extract of monkeypot (Lecythis minor) nuts. The following reversed-phase nanoHPLC-electrospray Q-TOF-MS/MS allowed the formal standardless identification of selenocystathionine and two isoforms of gamma-glutamyl-selenocystathionine. This is the first MS and MS/MS-based formal evidence of the presence of these compounds in a biological sample.     

Structure-activity-based design of a synthetic malaria peptide eliciting sporozoite inhibitory antibodies in a virosomal formulation

The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) of Plasmodium falciparum is a leading candidate antigen for inclusion in a malaria subunit vaccine. We describe here the design of a conformationally constrained synthetic peptide, designated UK-39, which has structural and antigenic similarity to the NPNA-repeat region of native CSP. NMR studies on the antigen support the presence of helical turn-like structures within consecutive NPNA motifs in aqueous solution. Intramuscular delivery of UK-39 to mice and rabbits on the surface of reconstituted influenza virosomes elicited high titers of sporozoite crossreactive antibodies. Influenza virus proteins were crucially important for the immunostimulatory activity of the virosome-based antigen delivery system, as a liposomal formulation of UK-39 was not immunogenic. IgG antibodies elicited by UK-39 inhibited invasion of hepatocytes by P. falciparum sporozoites, but not by antigenically distinct P. yoelii sporozoites. Our approach to optimized virosome-formulated synthetic peptide vaccines should be generally applicable for other infectious and noninfectious diseases.     

Surface properties of "jellyfish": Langmuir monolayer and Langmuir-Blodgett film studies of recombinant aequorin

In this paper, we studied the surface properties of recombinant aequorin at the air-water interface. Using the Langmuir monolayer technique, the surface properties of aequorin were studied, including the surface pressure and surface potential-area isotherms, compression-decompression cycles, and stability on Trizma Base (Tris/HCl) buffer at pH 7.6. The results showed that aequorin formed a stable Langmuir monolayer and the surface pressure-area isotherms were dependent on both pH and ionic strength. At a pH higher or lower than 7.6, the limiting molecular area decreased. The circular dichroism (CD) spectra of aequorin in aqueous solutions explained this result: when the pH was higher than 7.6, the alpha-helix conformation changed to unordered structures, whereas at a pH lower than 7.6, the alpha-helix conformation changed to beta-sheet. The addition of calcium chloride to the Tris/HCl buffer subphase (pH 7.6) caused an increase of the limiting molecular area of the aequorin Langmuir monolayer. The fluorescence spectra of a Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film of aequorin in the presence of calcium chloride indicated that the aequorin transformed to the apoaequorin.     

A photodimerization approach to crosslink and functionalize microgels

Microgels were prepared within reverse micelles via photocrosslinking. Gelation resulted from the [2 + 2] photodimerization reaction of nitrocinnamoyl (NC) groups on multi-arm polyethylene glycol (PEG) or gelatin. Because of the potential for biomedical and chemical applications, immobilization capacity within the microgels was investigated. Quantum dots (QDs), for example, share a similar size scale with proteins and can be physically trapped within the microgels. In addition, the optoelectronic properties of QDs could be utilized for analytical, imaging, and therapeutic purposes. Small molecules and recognition sequences (e.g. biotin) can also be covalently immobilized within the microgel networks through the photodimerization reaction. In the presence of biotin-PEG-NC, the resulting microgels added to streptavidin-coated plates. The microgel properties such as biodegradability and degree of swelling may be engineered for particular applications including targeted monitoring and controlled drug delivery systems.     

Crystallization of Ammonium Nitrate Under Organised Monolayers at Air-Aqueous Interface

The crystallization of NH₄NO₃ under compressed Langmuir monolayers of carboxybe-taine(C₂₂N₃COO^-),C₂₂H₁₅N(CH₂)₃(CH₂)₃COO^--[C₂₂N₃COO^-] and dioleoyl-L-a-lecithin(DOPC) was studied by means of π-A. ΔV-A and fluorescence microscopy (FM). The surface pressure, surface potential and molecular area of C₂₂N₃COO^- were decreased on the NH₄NO₃ solution subphase. The surface pressure and molecular area of DOPC was increased. The surface potential of DOPC was decreased. We can directly observe the surface crystallization of NH₄NO₃ by FM. The results revaled that C₂₂N₃COO^- monolayer was the promoter of NH₄NO₃ surface crystallization. In contrast,DOPC monolayer was the inhibitor of the surface crystallization of NH₄NO₃.     

The 0-1 Knapsack problem with a single continuous variable

Specifically we investigate the polyhedral structure of the knapsack problem with a single continuous variable, called the mixed 0-1 knapsack problem. First different classes of facet-defining inequalities are derived based on restriction and lifting. The order of lifting, particularly of the continuous variable, plays an important role. Secondly we show that the flow cover inequalities derived for the single node flow set, consisting of arc flows into and out of a single node with binary variable lower and upper bounds on each arc, can be obtained from valid inequalities for the mixed 0-1 knapsack problem. Thus the separation heuristic we derive for mixed knapsack sets can also be used to derive cuts for more general mixed 0-1 constraints. Initial computational results on a variety of problems are presented. Received May 22, 1997 / Revised version received December 22, 1997 Published online November 24, 1998